


Tire- Torn Tracks and Other Stuff

by SomeSuperHero



Series: Family Nature AU [7]
Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Bad History, Blood, Comfort, Death in family - but not really, F/F, F/M, Foster Care, FosterMother!Missy., Good!Missy(well sorta), Grief/Mourning, Hugs all around, Jenny gets put into foster care, PTSD, Phone Call, Psychiatric Wards, Stress, Thirteen gets put in ward for a little while, Video Chat, angst with eventual happy ending, severe Depressive Incident, social Worker! Craig Owens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:15:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26521270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomeSuperHero/pseuds/SomeSuperHero
Summary: A man once said,"It is both a blessing and a curse to feel so deeply." He was right. I swore two things to myself when I started writing fanfiction.One: I was never going to write about foster care, with the exception of Bill Potts, because I'll start crying.Two: I was never going to write about psychological wards, because they scare me.Today, I am breaking both of those rules. Get ready for some trigger warnings. I even needed them.
Relationships: Human!Eleventh Doctor/ Human!Idris, Human!Thirteenth Doctor/Yasmin Khan, River Song/ Human! Twelfth Doctor, Rose Tyler/ Human!Tenth Doctor, Twelfth Doctor & Jenny Smith
Series: Family Nature AU [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1845757
Comments: 1
Kudos: 1





	1. Day One

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry, guys, this ones a downer. Trigger warnings, trust me. I had a couple of falashbacks writing this... Maybe it's me just being a baby.. Anyway, TRIGGER WARNING.

John was sitting at the kitchen table, when his wife appeared and kissed his head. "What are you doing?" She asked, putting her arms around his neck and her hands on his chest. The _clickety- clack_ ofhis keyboard continued, and he sighed,"Just finishing up this paper for WestWorth."

Idris smiled. "Why don't you come to bed, it's late." He wanted to yawn, but that'd just prove her right. She started undoing his red bow tie, and he sniffed. He was crying. "What's wrong, Honey?" She asked, and he shook his head. "Nothing. Just go to bed, I'll be there in a second." John saved his work. Once, twice, a third, and fourth time to make sure. It was things like this that made Idris wondered if he was really going to his group therapy for his OCD, or if this was because he wanted to make sure his file was saved. Probably the former.

"Hey, Idris, how long have we been married?" She looked at him, confused. "Eight years in January..... Why? Do you want a divorce? Because I swear, John---"

"No, no, no," He said, holding his hands up in surrender. "I just couldn't remember." He cupped her delicate cheeks and kissed her softly. "Are you okay?" She asked, when he pulled his head back. John placed his forehead on hers. "Fine." He kissed her again and let her go. "I just need to make a couple of calls." John closed his laptop and brought it outside. 

\---- 

He sat on the front porch and opened it, knats and misquotes already buzzing around the light it gave off. John pulled up his video chat a dialed James' computer. "Come on, come on, come on.... Bingo." James and Rose's face came up in a corner.

"Hey," James said, quietly, and John sighed. "How are you holding up?" James looked at his wife then back at the computer screen. "Okay, I guess. You?"

John shrugged. "Hang on.... Jane!" But she wasn't alone.

"Who's this?" James asked, and a puffy-eyed Jane answered. "It's Yaz. She's my girlfriend."

"Hello," the darker woman said, the bright yellow of her uniform showing.

"Since when?"

Jane sniffed loudly. "About a month ago, James. Stop being annoying." John smiled. _This was family._

 _"_ Can you believe it, guys?" He asked. "It's been five years." Jane nodded, and James looked down, like a child looking sadly at his shoes. 

"And it still hurts, don't it? After all this time?" Jane leaned back in her chair, trying to lean into Yaz, John supposed. Rose spoke up. "Yeah, it does. Your mum was the best."

"Hey, have either of you seen Dad," Jane asked,"He said he was going up there, but I haven't heard from him." 

"No, why would he be here?" John asked, and Jane looked worried at Yaz. "He said he was going to stay with one of you guys two weeks ago when the house burnt down."

John's and James's eyes widened. "The house burned?" Jane nodded. "Yeah, it's why Jenny and I are staying at Yaz's, but that's not the point, where could Dad have wandered off to?" 

James shrugged. "A shrug isn't helping, John! This is serious," Jane yelled, and she got up. "I'm coming over, guys. I'll be there in a couple of hours!" 

"Jane, no." Yaz grabbed her arm. "It's way too late." Jane sighed. "Fine, check his Facebook page and see if he's posted his location. If there's nothing, I'm going, Yaz, and you can't stop me."

John had Facebook open. "Nothing." Jane looked at Yaz. "I'm coming." Yaz stopped her again. "OCan I go?" Jane sighed and shut the laptop. She shoved it into her school bag. "Does Ryan have work tomorrow? Someone has to watch over Jenny." 

Yaz nodded. "Yeah, he does..."

"I'll call up, Bill." Thirty minutes later, Jenny was over at Bill's. "I don't know how long we'll be gone, just watch over her. I'll probably be back before Sunday night. Thank you so much, you two. Really owe you one!"

There was only one stop Jane made before she got to London and that was for a tank of gas and gas station pizza (she started nervous eating). "Where could he be?" Jane asked, mostly to no one. A couple hours later, she pulled up into John's driveway. She blinked the tiredness out of her eyes and drank some soda (coffee tasted like dirt). "Jane, I'm sure he's fine," John said, getting up from the stairs. "No, he can't be fine. I feel it something's wrong. I can feel it. It's like a weird tingling feeling."

"She's been like this the entire time," Yaz said, and John set his hands on her shoulders. "You didn't know something was wrong, when you thought he was here."

Jane mumbled something incoherent, leaning on John. "What?" She mumbled again. "Jane, talk louder!" She jerked forward, then again, and threw up gas station pizza all over is suspenders, blue shirt, and undone bow tie. 

"Egh," he said, but held on to her anyways. John knew if he let go, she was going to fall. "You let her drive like this?" Yaz shook her head. "No, she wasn't like this a second ago." Jane leaned back and sat down. She laied on her side and started to rock. "Do something," he whispered, and Yaz looked at him."What kind of doctor are you?"

"I'm a theoretical science. You know, time travel and black holes and stuff. She's the doctory- medical-doctor." Yaz rolled her eyes and kneeled to help her, or atleast try to help her.

"Jane?" Yaz asked,"Jane, can you hear me?" Jane looked up, past her. Jane's eyes were blankish, as if she wasn't really there. "Jane?" Jane rolled over to her side and hugged her knees. Yaz touched her shoulder, and Jane bit her lip. "Don't touch me! Just, just leave me alone!" Yaz let go, but started to panic. _Panicking, that's what she's doing,_ Yaz thought, but no, something worse was going on, Yaz just didn't know it yet.

"Breathe, Jane," Yaz said, and then showed her by taking a deep breath. Jane ignored her. "Jane?" John said, trying to help her but it wasn't working. She just kept staring. 

\-----------------------------

They had said Jenny could stay with Yaz and Ryan for two more days, then she had to spend a few weeks with a foster family, until Jane was better. It was just that Yaz and Ryan couldn't take care of her while they were at work.

"Mummy's fine!" She whined. Jenny, her social worker, and Missy, the foster mother, was sitting in the stranger's living room, and Jenny temper was boiling over. "She's fine! Everyone keeps telling me that anyways. Is she really fine? I don't know! But she's never done this before!"

Mr. Owens looked at her worriedly. "Listen, Jenny, she's had what the doctors call a 'severe depressive incident.' It's what happening when people are under a lot of stress and something bad happens." Jenny shot daggers at him. "But I want her back. She's my mummy! I've already lost Mr. Bear. I can't lose mummy, too!" 

"Mr. Bear? Who's Mr. Bear?" Missy asked, and Jenny shut her mouth so tightly she began to grind her teeth. Missy looked like one of them witches, and Jenny wasn't thinking that because she hated every fiber of Missy's being (although she did). Missy had pinned up dark hair, a dark dress, long, pale fingers, and a hat with a flower on it. Missy was the Duchess of Evil. 

"Why can't I stay with Uncle John? Or Uncle James, they would love to have me stay over. Or find Granddad?"

"Because, Jenny, you're close to your school. If you went to stay with your uncle, we'd have to switch over your school files," Mr. Owen said,"You don't want to leave your school, do you?" Jenny swallowed and shook her head. "As for your granddad, nobody can find him." 

"When can I see her? Will she be at school tomorrow?" 

Missy sighed. "No, your mummy would still be at the hospital tomorrow." 

Mr. Owens cell rang, and he excused himself. "Do you want to see your bedroom?" Missy asked, but Jenny shook her head. They sat in awkward silence until Mr. Owens got back. "I'm sorry so sorry. That was Mrs. Bennet. I have to go."

"Alright. Talk to you later, then," Missy said, but Jenny still didn't say anything. When he was gone, it was like a whole new blouder placed on Jenny's shoulders. "Can I watch tv?" She asked, trying to fill the void in her chest. "Sure." Missy handed her the remote and Jenny flicked it on. _The Chase_ was still on from earlier and the question was a cube four inches high has the area of what? A: 16, B:512, C:64, or D:6,807. 

"It's sixty-four,," Jenny mumbled, and the grown woman on tv said B. A green light lot up C. "How'd you know that?" Missy asked, and Jenny took a deep breath, without looking up from the screen. "When you measure the area of a cube, it's what whatever the number they give you cubed, so it's four times four times four. Four times four is sixteen, and sixteen times four is sixty-four. B is 8 cubed or eight to the third power. Eight times eight equals sixty-four, and sixty-four times eight is five-hundred and twelve."

Missy's eyes widened, and Jenny looked at her. "Mummy taught me that after I asked what the little three meant in a book I read..... I miss her and Granddad... I wonder where he's at?"

"Do you have any pictures?" Missy asked, and Jenny shook her head. "No, we lost most of that in the fire." Jenny's eyes lightened up. "Do you have a VHS player?" Jenny went to her tiny backpack (which held her toothbrush, some toothpaste, and a small amount of clothes Jane had replaced) and pulled out the tape. It was the tape from her first birthday. "What is that?" Missy asked, and Jenny handed it over. "Can I watch it?"

It only took a click of a button to switch the HDMI from the SkyTv box to the VHS and DVD player and a couple more to get the tape going. It was Jenny in a high chair as a baby, but Jenny didn't watch it. Instead she closed her eyes and listened to her mother's narration. "Jenny's first birthday. November 23. Time: 1:03. Say hi to the camera, Jenny." 

"Hey, meeeraaaaa." Jane swiveled the camera to her smiling face. "Eh, close enough." Jenny smiled, but it was painful. As if she didn't know how to make a real smile. This was going to be tough for her to get through.


	2. "What's a Nut House?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jenny goes to visit her mother after school.

Word got around quickly at the school that Dr. Jane Smith was in a pyschological ward, and Jenny was already suffering because of it. She couldn't even focus on her glittery unicorn that she made after getting ~~home~~ to Missy's home. Missy was okay, she guessed, but nothing like her mother. Her mother was just as clingy as Jenny and liked sitting in her lap when she felt tired. Jenny hardly wanted to look at Missy, much less let her touch her. She was sitting at the table, finishing up her drawing, when Missy asked her to get on her shoes. "Why?" Jenny asked, waiting to defy her if it was for something stupid like going outside. "Because Mr. Owens said it was okay for you to see your mum today." A huge grin spread across her face, and Jenny hopped up and ran to get her shoes. After Velcroing them down, Jenny grabbed her peice of paper. "I drew this for her!" She told Missy. Missy nodded. "Great.... What is it?" Jenny sighed. "It's a unicorn. Mummy would know that."

Jenny clung to Mr. Owens like her life dependent on it. The squeaking of the carts full of glass canisters sounded like the monster that his under her bed. The one who grabbed her ankle if she got out of bed at Missy's. It was scary. The doctors didn't look nice like her doctor. They looked tired and sad, just like the patients. "Jenny, you don't have to do this, if you don't want to." Jenny straighten up. "Yes, I do. I have to see her."

The entered an empty canteen, and there was Jane, wearing a robe and fluffy slippers. She looked just as tired and sad, as the doctors. "Mummy?" Jenny asked, and Jane perked up. "Jenny!" She got up slowly and spread out her arms. Jenny didn't run to her like she had expected but tugged against the robe. "Are you sure you've got the right person?" Jenny asked, looking at Craig, crushing every last fiber of Jane's heart. She knew she was slightly unkept, but it was hard to care when you were stuck in a mental ward. "Yeah, it's me, Jenny." Jane rubbed Jenny's cheek, and Jenny started to cry, sob. "Mummy!" She cried, latching on to her waist. "I've missed you, Sweetie," she said, like her mother said to her, and Jenny said she missed her back. "Look, I drew you this." Jenny took the picture out of her pocket and unfolded it. "Here." Jane smiled. "It's a unicorn! Lots and lots glitter, too." Jane set it down on the table flattening it out. "I like it." Jane sat down, too, and Jenny crawled in her lap, smiling. "Ugh," Jane groaned, involuntary. "What's wrong?" Jane shook her head. "Nothing. My back just hurts." Actually, it felt like it was on fire. Jenny moved to her own chair. "Sorry, Jenny," her mother said, and Jenny shook her head. "No, it's fine." 

"So what else have you been up to?" Jane asked,"I bet your days are a lot more fun than mine." Jenny shrugged. "Fine.... What's a nut house?"

Jane chewed on her tongue. "It's just another name for a ward like this one. Just when people say it's a nut house, they usually don't mean it in a nice way." 

"Then, Mary is being mean again," Jenny whispered. Jane's jaw hardened. "Tell your teacher, then, okay?" Jenny nodded, and there was a quietness, but it didn't feel awkward. Jane stared into space for a moment before looking back at Jenny. "I love you, Jenny," Jane said, after a minute, rubbing her arm. "I love you, too," Jenny smiled, before letting it fade. "When are you getting out off here?" Jane sighed. "Whenever they let me out, Jenny. If it was my choice, I would be back with you and Yaz. When I do though, they are probably going to keep me on some medicine to help me... So if I seem out of sorts, that would be why, okay?" Jenny nodded. "Okay."

Jane's eyes slipped back to the table, then back to the picture. "This is good." 

"Yeah, Missy let me borrow her glitter," she said, with so much bitterness in her voice. "Hey, erm.... I still think you're the best mum in the world, if that's what you're worried and stressed about." Jane ruffled Jenny's hair. She couldn't help it. "No, it was mum stuff. You're not the cause of this. I just couldn't hold it together." 

"But you're strong!" 

"I'm strong when I need to be, but your granddad went missing just hit a nerve. I had already lost Mum, so...." 

"You don't want to lose your dad, too?" Her daughter was too smart. Jane nodded, looking ashamed at the ground. "Yes....." 

Jenny sat on ~~her~~ the bed, later that night, thinking about what Jane said. She grabbed her pack and stuffed clothes back into it. She turned off the alarm to the window and unlocked it. She shoved her pack out of the window and crawled out herself. Jane didn't want her dad to go, too, and Jenny had been having a dream. It was time to find her granddad starting in Sheffield, Yorkshire. 

\------ 

No, she could not say she had a lot of anger. She got angry sometimes, but this wasn't out of anger; this was for Granddad and Gran and Mummy and the uncles. Jenny stalked through the nightly woods, shinning her flashlight on the her path in the wooded. Her dreams said he was here. Granddad was here somewhere, just pass The Pet Semetery. She had saw it clearly sham she slept, but she didn't tell anyone., not even her mum, who would be more stressed out because of it. Jenny tripped over a branch and heard someone yell out. "Who's there?" Although, it sounded like whosin ther? Jenny shot up and started running, but instantly was tackled to the ground. It was someone large, but her flashlight was dropped. She wiggled back and her hand touched something wet and gross. Jenny screamed and reached for her flashlight. She shined it on the thing she touched. It was..... It was Granddad, covered in blood, leaking from his forehead. She turned back to the woman., who pressed a finger against her lips. "Who are you?" Jenny asked, and she whispered," Who are you?" 

"I am Jane," she said. It was the first name she thought of that wasn't her own. You never gave out your name to strangers. Especially one you met in the middle of the night in the woods. "Well, Jane, we've got to move his body. How are we going to do that without ripping his head off?" Jenny raised an eyebrow. "Move him where?"

"You know, to the cops and forensics." Jenny thought this was some kind of test. "Why don't we leave him here and get the cops here." She bent down and pulled out his phone. It lit up and she opened the lock screen. The password was the date of his wife's death. Death... Death was such a concept and Jenny didn't really get it. She blamed it on her age. Jenny opened up the number pad and dialed for the cops. It rang and rang. "Hello, what is your emergency?" 

The woman knocked away the phone. "No, not that way. You carry him." Jenny blinked. "Wot?" The woman picked up John like he weighed nothing and told Jenny to open out her arms. She set him on her arms, and he weighed so much more than she seemed like it did. He was heavy and his limbs were hanging out, dragging on the floor. "Bear the weight of the fallen. You are alive while he is not." She took a step and wobbled. He was a grown dead weight and she was just a little girl, but she carried him out of the woods, slowly. By now it had to have been three hours later, sweat was pouring down her back, and someone's where yelling her name. "Help!" She yelled. 

\------- 

She tripped again, dropping him, this time she felt like she was falling through the Earth. Jenny jerked awake, and after realizing it was a dream, she pushed back the covers and went to the bathroom. She splashed water on her face and let the tears fall. It was just a lot. She missed her mum and Granddad, hoped he was okay, missed Yaz, and normal life. She missed her home and it hurt. She missed Mr. Bear and Ryan.

"Jenny?" Jenny looked up. Missy was leaning on the door frame, looking sad and cross at the same time. She always looked cross. Her mum called that "resting cross-face."

"Can I get a hug?" Missy spread out her arms, and Jenny went in.

\---------- 

God, she was tired. It was night 16, and she laied on her cot, listening to others scream, as they had demented nightmares. The door opened and another patient named The Master (actually his name was Orion, but he was a bit of a sociopath) stepped in. "You okay?" He asked, and she sighed. "Best day of my fucking life. I'm stuck in a mental ward, while my daughter is in foster care. Beat fucking day." She felt the meds kicking in and became loopy. "Can I stay the night?" He asked, smiling up like he was a storm (and like a fucking idiot). The Oncoming Storm. "No, not really. The bed only fits one." She spread out her limbs to show the point, her hands and feet hanging off the edge. "Scootch over."

"Nah, I'm good." She smiled, and he shoved her over, and laied beside here. "If you start feeling me up, we're going to have some issues," Jane said, then booped his nose. She felt like she was going to throw up. "Why would I ever do that?" He asked, his hands already starting to wander, squeezing her boob. She was going to have to ask the doc to up her dosage. Best fucking day...... She took a deep breath and lost the dopey smile. Even more, she regained her sanity from the medicine.


	3. Don't Give Up, Ever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long, so here's the last chapter.

"So what are you in for," Orion asked, holding the hem of Jane's shirt. She felt a finger trace right above her pants. Jane kicked him away. "Get away." He frowned, crawling up to Jane's head, and slithered under the blanket. Jane started pushing him off the bed.

"Okay, I was just asking." Orion turned onto his side and stroked her temple. Jane bit her lip. "Can you go? I wanna go ta sleep." He kept stroking her face, and she swatted away his hand. "You can go to sleep. I'll stay. Be your guard." He moved his hand down to her chest, and Jane pushed herself off the bed. "Don't touch me," she whined, yanking open the door. Jane ran down the hallway into the common area where a couple of people were watching tv. "Get back here, Jane! Now!" He yelled angrily. Jane shook her head. "No."

"No. Did you just say 'no'?" He asked, coming into the room. She sunk down against the wall,. Her heart thumped against her chest, quickly. She could have thought everyone could her it. "Yes, I did," she yelled back, "Maybe you need to get your ears checked, Orion."

He growled, and she looked at the others. They weren't paying attention. Sure, fights broke out occasionally, but this was 10 o'clock at night. Where was everyone? 

" _Okay, take a deep breath, Jane, and count to ten."_

It was Yaz, or at least Yaz's voice. She liked Yaz. Loved her. Missed her. 

" _One_."

Things went in slow motion.

" _Two_."

Jane stood.

" _Three_." 

She may have been honorably discharged for panic attacks, but her military training kicked it. 

" _Four."_

She held her ground.

_"Five."_

_She wasn't going to move._

_"Six."_

He wasn't going to make her.

_"Seven."_

_She was ready._

_"Eight."_

This was the payback for witnessesing her new friend's death.

_"Nine."_

The universe owed her. 

_"Ten."_

She stood facing her opponent in a comfortable, relaxed stance, her feet hip-width apart and arms by her side.

He stuck out his a hand, reaching to grab her with his left hand. She caught it and grasped it with her right and pulled him slightly toward her. He was getting off balanced, suprised at Jane's dare.

She stepped across at the same time as she pulled, then pivoted on her foot, swinging her body, so that she faced roughly the same direction as Orion. Her hips very close to his. (Directly below his since she was shorter). Jane put her left arm around his torso, using it as a guide. Her legs straightened out, and she lifted her hips, making him fly over her shoulder. It was the best feeling she had in a long time.

Jane smiled, holding his hand, so he wouldn't have a full impact from the floor, then let go. He grabbed her leg, pulling her down, and she stumbled on top of him. "Hey," he said, and she pressed her hand on his face, pushing his head away. Jane hopped up and got out of the tangle of his body parts. 

"Thanks for the help, you two." Her voice slurred, and the female one shrugged. Jane went back to her room and locked the door. She fell onto her bed and fell asleep. 

\---------

When Jane woke the next day to the support staff banging on the door (just like every freaking day) and yelling at breakfast in twenty minutes, she groaned an okay and rolled herself outside of bed. It was the only way to wake up fully. It was either that or hitting the floor. 

She wandered into the canteen and waited for the others to get food, then she got hers. Friday was pancake day, but she just wanted some eggs and bacon and a cold milk. 

"How did you sleep last night?" Dr. Willams asked, and Jane shrugged. "Fine," she groaned. Honestly, she was exhausted. "Did you dream?" Jane blinked at her breakfast. "Yeah, but I don't remember it." He wrote something on his clip board, smiling. 

When he went off to bother a patient with Schiz, a hand was placed on Jane's shoulder. "Hi," Orion said with a smile, and Jane jerked away. "Don't make me flip you again." His smile faded, and said, "You know, that hurt."

"Good." 

Orion let go of her. "Heared your getting outta here a five days days." Jane nodded, eating some of her scrambled eggs. "Yep," she sighed. He seriously wanted to have a conversation after last night? No wonder he was in a mental ward. 

"Who have you got on the other side?" 

She looked up at him, as he sat beside her. "Friends? Family?"

She sighed. "I've got a daughter, and a couple of brothers, a dad, wherever he's at, and a girlfriend. You?" He shrugged. "No one. I'm alone." Jane nodded. "Yeah, I know what alone feels like."

"If you want me to apologize, I'm not going to, so stop trying to make me feel guilty," he said, and Jane huffed. "You came to talk to me, so...."

He hopped up. "Fine."

\----------

A visitor, they said. Okay... Jane hope it was Yaz coming to see her again. Or Jenny. Or her brothers to tell her about where her dad was or to tell her the house was almost fixed. 

Instead, it was her dad. He was dressed in his Crombie jacket and white shirt, looking as if it was freshly washed. His hair was fluffier than ever. Atleast, Jane had gotten dressed and brushed her hair. He was carrying a shoe box.

He smiled, and Jane ran up to him and hugged him. "Hey, Dad," she said, holding him tightly. He put his arms around her. "Where have you been?" She pulled away, and he rubbed his eyes. "I panicked, Jane." Okay, that wasn't what she thought she was going to say. 

"You panicked?" She repeated, and he nodded. "Yes. I'm sorry. I should've stuck beside you." Jane nodded, losing her smile. "Yeah, so where did you go?" 

"Just spent some time in a hotel right outside of London."

"Drank a lot?" He nodded. "Yeah." Jane sat at the table. "I thought you died, just like Mum." John Sr. sat beside her daughter. "You could've called, Dad. Let me know that you were okay." Tears started to fall down her face, and her mind seemed to trail to a different topic. "We lost Mr. Bear." 

John rubbed her back. "I figured. It's okay." Jane shook her head. "No, it's not. You gave me that bear. Remember? Fifth birthday? Now it's burnt..... My room partly survived. That and my military uniform." 

"I thought you got rid of the uniform?" Jane shook her head. "I couldn't. I don't know why, but I couldn't."

"I don't even know why the hell you joined the military, Jane." Jane wiped her eyes with her lilac coat sleeve (it was left on the truck that night, and Yaz had brought it to her). "Because I wanted my college tuition paid, even though I didn't have a plan. We Smiths never have a plan. We take it one day at a time." John had to agree on that, because it was true.

"What happened to Jenny?" She couldn't look up at her dad.

"She's in foster care, but just until I get out. It was either that or staying with James or John, but the government was being lazy and just sent her off to some random person. The third option was staying with you, but no one could find you." She started to pick at the shoe box, and John said she could open it. Jane stopped leaning on him and flicked it open. 

In it was some red play-dough, a couple of books (Sherlock Homles and The Hobbit), some peppermints, and a couple of candy bars. "Thanks, Dad," she said, kindly.

Dr. Williams came in. "You've got another visitor." Yaz was right behind him, and Janny jumped up at hugged her. "Oh, Jane." She spun Jane around then set her down. "Dr. Smith," she said to Jane's dad coldly. "Yasmin."

Jane swatted at Yaz. "Cut it out. He apologized." Yaz smiled. "You're feeling better today, aren't you?" Jane nodded. "Yeah." 

\----------

Jenny and Missy were at a store, buying clothes."What is wrong with this?" Jenny asked, holding up a green t-shirt much like the one she had on. "You don't want to get a different color?" Missy asked, and Jenny shook her head. "No, I like green. Green has always been my favorite color." Missy rolled her eyes. Her entire limited wardrobe consisted of green. Her shirts her camo denim pants, even her knickers and socks were green. The only thing that wasn't green was her black belt and purple sneakers. "Fine, get the green shirt." Jenny was always in a bitchy mood, except that one night, and Jenny pretended that night didn't exist. What was that word? Mummy had discussed the word with her, when she heard it. Vulnerable. That was it. It meant susceptible to physical or emotional attack or harm. Missy.... She didn't trust her, not even a little bit.

Missy, on the other hand, was trying to be nice. Coperative. Loads of kids had their own way of easing into living in a home. It hurt the kid, made them vulnerable. Afriad. Jenny was afraid. Afriad she wasn't going to see her mum ever again, and Missy knew of countless times kids got cut off from thier biological parents. Sometimes for the better... This wasn't for the better. Jenny's grades were slipping and most of the time refused to do her homework, especially of Missy offered to help. She also knew that Jane was probably a good person and was fetting better each day. Jenny, although the number was few, was just another kid who passed through foster care quickly.

Jenny held onto the trolley, and Missy shook her head. When they got back to the house, Jenny stormed to her room, slamming the door loudly and crawled into bed. It was only 12:30, but it felt like Jenny had been awake for years. She had a lot going on in her mind. She looked at the bear Missy gave her. It wasn't Mr. Bear. It wasn't the one her mummy gave her. It was a strange bear she didn't know. It wasn't fimaliar to her. She took it anyways and fixed the blue coat. Honestly, it looked like Pattington, just without the hat. It didn't need the hat.

"Don't think you are replacing Mr. Bear. You are nothing except a fill-in." She squeezed it (well, he. He might as well be a boy, like Mr. Bear) in her arms. "Charlie. Do you like the name Charlie?" He didn't answer, so she nodded. "Well, I like it." She laied down, her head hurting. Why did her head hurt so much? She took a deep breath, and Missy knocked on the door.

"Hey, your granddad called if you want to talk to him." Jenny sat up. "Okay." Missy handed her the phone. "Hey," Granddad said, and Jenny smiled, but faded a second later. "Hey... I had a dream you died."

"Yeah, your mother told me. How's school going?"

"It's going great," she lied. She throughly hated school now. Normally, if she had a at home problem, like she couldn't find Mr. Bear anywhere, she'd go to school, and she fell better about it. Now, school was just another reminder that Mummy wasn't there for her. Mummy had always been there for her. Close. "I miss you." She whispered. That wasn't a lie. If her mum wasn't there, although she always was, Jenny knew she could count on Granddad. He would tell Jenny funny stories about her mummy when she was a little girl, like Jenny.

"I miss you, too, Jenny. I'm sorry about this, and I know your mother is too." Jenny nodded, even though he couldn't see. "Yeah, I'm sorry, too, Granddad."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I caused this stress, right? Ben said his mummy said she was stressed out all the time because of him.... I'm the reason Mummy had to go to the hospital, right?" Her voice cracked, and tears ran down her cheeks.

"No, Jenny, not at all. You are wonderful. It was other stuff. Mum stuff. That was the reason. Don't you ever think it was your fault. Ever, because it's not." Jenny nodded, but John couldn't see that, so he kept going. "Trust me on this, Jenny. She loves you very much; we all do, okay?"

"Okay..... Are you sure?"

"Yes, Jenny. I'm very sure. You are brilliant, and you need to know that. Your mum and I wouldn't trade you for anything in this entire universe." Jenny smiled, brokenly. "Jenny?"

"Mummy calls me 'brilliant.' I think she is brilliant, too, and so are you, Granddad."

"Thank you, Jenny."

\----------------

It was the fourth to the last day, and when Dr. Williams held her for one- on- one session, he said that he saw a wonderful change in her mood. "But I would suggest getting a service or emotional support animal for your PTSD and depression. Service animals will grant you the right to bring it to some places you aren't allowed to bring animals, but if you choose to get n emotional support animal, you can't..... However, I think it will help, either way."

Jane sighed. "Alright. How do I get a service dog?" Dr. Williams looked at his clipboard. "Well, we have a correspondence with the animal shelter. It would be easier to get one there. Afterwards, come by the front office, and I'll, personally, sign the papers." She smiled. "Okay, but Im going to tell my girlfriend, myself, because it is her house I'm saying at." Dr. Williams nodded. "That's it for today, Dr. Smith."

Jane shook her head. "How many times do I have to ask you to call me 'Jane'?" Dr. Williams pushed his brainy glasses up on the bridge of his nose, and Jane knew he was just messing with her. Where therapists allowed to do that?

\----------

She was free. She was free. She was free. Jenny was free. She packed up her stuff with a swipe of her arm and ran to the door. "Come on! Come on!" She yelled at Mr. Owens and went out to the car. She was free. She was free. Jenny giggled, as she thought of the line off on Harry Potter. She was a free elf. Ha!

When she saw her mummy, bright and shiny, Jenny ran to her and jumped into her arms, having Jane pick her up. "Hey, Mummy!" She yelled in her ear. Jane blinked, trying to stop the ringing. "We're getting a dog, " was Jane's first comment. Jenny's eyes widened. "Wot?"

"We are getting a dog." Jenny's smile widened even more. "Okay..... But we've got to talk later, okay?" Jane nodded. "Of course." Jenny dug her face into Jane's neck and kept smiling. She smelt of flowers. "Alright, let's go, then." Jenny kept clinging to her mummy, as she tried putting her into a booster seat. "Honey, you have to let go." Jenny couldn't feel her arms. They were too heavy, and she just wanted to cling to Jane forever.

The animal shelter was packed with barking. "Here's our service dogs," the lady with the "please, just take these dogs, they're a nightmare' look. It was a choice of five. Two Collies, a Labrador Retriever, a Greman Shepherd, a poodle, and a dog that kind of looked like Benji. "Most of them looked extremely excited, all of them actually, except the Lab. Jane's eyes followed his. Which one are we getting?" Jenny asked, but Jaane didn't know, yet. "Which one is that?""

"He's just a Labrador Retriever. He won't eat or drink. I'm pretty sure we're going to have to put him down soon.... End his suffering." Jane stared at him. "What's his name?" The woman shrugged. "Doesn't have one."

"Can I go in?" The woman opened the fence door, and the dog just looked at Jane. "Hey, fella," she said, kneeling beside him. She set her hand on his head, and he cocked his head. "Hi," she repeated.

He got up, stretched his legs, and went to Jane. He licked her forehead with a sloppy tongue, and she heard Jenny, behind her, say,"Ew!"

"Oh, he just wants company. Don't you, boy?" He wagged his tail, climbing into Jane's lap, knocking her over. He started licking her face more. "K-9!," she yelled, laughing, trying to push him away. "This is not funny, Jenny'"

"Mummy, he's licking your face. It is kinda funny." Jane kept smiling, and she got up. She composed herself and ran fingers through her hair. "We'll get him."

"Name?"

"K-9. Like the letter- dash- number." The woman smiled. "Okay, come with me to get the paper work." Jane also bought a red collar and a red leash inside.

\----------

When Jane and Jenny came home to the flat, Jane put in the key and opened the door. Both Johns, Graham, James, Jack, Rose, Yaz, Idris, Ryan, and Yaz was there, sitting around the cramped table,chatting away.

"Hey, guys," Jane said, holding the backpack full of the stuff she kept in the ward and paperwork. K-9 jumped around, and Jane letting him free of the leash. Jane turned back to the table, while Jenny climbed into John Jr.'s arms, holding the new bear she got from Missy.

"Graham?" Jane asked the sliver- haired man, and Graham got up. She went over and hugged him tightly, smiling. It felt like the reunion they should have had a long time ago.

"Good to have you sane, again," he said, and Jane rolled her eyes. "Atleast I don't stuff sandwiches in my coat." She wasn't even sure if he did that anymore. Graham smiled, too. "It's cos I'm always hungry."

"Least it's not fish-fingers and custard!" Idris called out. "Oi," John Jr said, and Idris swatted him. "Well, you seem to have that everytime I go to kiss you. It's really gross, John."

Jane turned her attention to Jack, as he got up, too. "Well, lookee who we have here. Captain Jack Harkness!" He stroked her cheek with his hand and kissed her. "I have a girlfriend."

"Yeah, so back off." Yaz said and grabbed Jane's hand. Jack frowned. "So does that mean every Smith doctor is taken...." He looked at John Sr. "Don't even thing about it, Jack," He said, but smiling.

It took ages for everything to calm, and when it did, normal conversations took over. The house was almost done ( "Well, that was fast. Who did it time-travelers?" Rose interjected, and Jane looked at Yaz and winked), and things just seemed calmer. When the fam left, after spilting a bottle of wine (well, between the women anyways), Yaz, Ryan, Jane, and a sleeping Jenny were left (John Sr. went to the house).

Jane leaned over, and into Yaz's ear siad,"I want to try."

Yaz raised an eyebrow, confused, and Jane raised both of hers. "Oh," Yaz said, and Jane nodded. "Are you sure?" Jane nodded. "Definitely."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next FN story. 100% smut....... Well, about 89% if that. Look I suck at written stuff like that, so it will be mostly dialogue, because that is how I stall.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments, Kudos, and criticism are welcome.


End file.
